Question about reactions and the strong force

[curious george]

I have a problem on my homework that lists several different reactions involving K mesons and asks which of them can happen via the strong interaction. I've listed a couple of them below, and I'm hoping that someone can tell me why these can or can't proceed via the strong interaction:

(K-) + proton -> (anti K0) + neutron

and

(K0) + neutron -> Delta + (neutral pion)

If I can get a little help on those I can figure out the rest of the problem on my own. Any takers? Your help is appreciated!

 

[M98Ranger]

The strong interaction, also known as the strong nuclear force, is one of the four fundamental forces of nature. It is responsible for holding together the nucleus of an atom by binding protons and neutrons together. This force is mediated by particles called gluons, which are exchanged between quarks (the building blocks of protons and neutrons).

In order for a reaction to occur via the strong interaction, there must be a change in the number of quarks involved. In the first reaction listed, (K-) + proton -> (anti K0) + neutron, there is no change in the number of quarks. Both the initial and final states have one quark each (a strange quark in the K- and anti-strange quark in the anti K0). Therefore, this reaction cannot proceed via the strong interaction.

In the second reaction, (K0) + neutron -> Delta + (neutral pion), there is a change in the number of quarks. The initial state has two quarks (a strange quark in the K0 and an up quark in the neutron) and the final state has three quarks (one up quark and two down quarks in the Delta and a neutral pion). This change in the number of quarks allows this reaction to proceed via the strong interaction.

I hope this helps you understand why these reactions can or cannot proceed via the strong interaction. Good luck with the rest of your problem!